Thought I'd start a new thread as this is going to be a major talking point this year...have not made up my mind yet...(unlike bucksfizz)....but thinking of voting for an exit as Europe is not doing Britain any good at all it seems....

Most of the above was poached from:

Brexit: All you need to know about the UK leaving the EU where there is even more to read, learn and inwardly digest. eg.:

What is Article 50?
Article 50 is a plan for any country that wishes to exit the EU to do so. It was created as part of the Treaty of Lisbon - an agreement signed up to by all EU states which became law in 2009. Before that treaty, there was no formal mechanism for a country to leave the EU.

It's pretty short - just five paragraphs - which spell out that any EU member state may decide to quit the EU, that it must notify the European Council and negotiate its withdrawal with the EU, that there are two years to reach an agreement - unless everyone agrees to extend it - and that the exiting state cannot take part in EU internal discussions about its departure.

What's going to happen to all the EU laws in force in the UK?
The Conservative government introduced the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill to Parliament to end the primacy of EU law in the UK on Brexit Day. This "Great Repeal Bill", as it was originally called, incorporates all EU legislation into UK law in one lump, after which the government will decide over a period of time which parts to keep, change or remove. The bill was subject to fierce debate as it passed through Parliament, with a number of attempts to change its wording. It finally became law in June 2018.

What is the Labour Party's position on Brexit?
Labour says it accepts the referendum result and that Brexit is going to happen. Leader Jeremy Corbyn says he would negotiate a permanent customs union with the EU after Brexit, which would be very similar to the one it has now. This is the only way to keep trade flowing freely and protect jobs, he says, as well as ensuring there is no return to a "hard border" in Northern Ireland. He has ruled out staying a member of the single market, as some of his pro-EU MPs want, so he can carry out his plans to nationalise key industries without being hampered by EU competition rules. He says the UK should have a very close relationship with the single market. Labour accepts that some form of free movement of people might have to continue. He also insists he could persuade Brussels to let the UK have a say in its rules post-Brexit.

What is the single market?
The single market is seen by its advocates as the EU's biggest achievement and one of the main reasons it was set up in the first place. Britain was a member of a free trade area in Europe before it joined what was then known as the common market. In a free trade area countries can trade with each other without paying tariffs - but it is not a single market because the member states do not have to merge their economies together.

The European Union single market, which was completed in 1992, allows the free movement of goods, services, money and people within the European Union, as if it was a single country. It is possible to set up a business or take a job anywhere within it. The idea was to boost trade, create jobs and lower prices. But it requires common law-making to ensure products are made to the same technical standards and imposes other rules to ensure a "level playing field".

Critics say it generates too many petty regulations and robs members of control over their own affairs. Mass migration from poorer to richer countries has also raised questions about the free movement rule. Theresa May has ruled out the UK staying in the single market, a position backed by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

What's the difference between the single market and the customs union?
The customs union ensures EU member states all charge the same import duties to countries outside the EU. It allows member states to trade freely with each other, without burdensome customs checks at borders, but it limits their freedom to strike their own trade deals.

It is different from a free trade area. In a free trade area no tariffs, taxes or quotas are charged on goods and services moving within the area but members are free to strike their own external trade deals.

The government says the UK is leaving the customs union after the transition period but ministers have yet to decide on what will replace it amid divisions in cabinet over the two options - a customs partnership and a technology based "maximum facilitation" arrangement.

Who is negotiating Britain's exit from the EU?
Theresa May set up a government department, headed by veteran Conservative MP and Leave campaigner David Davis, to take responsibility for Brexit talks. Former defence secretary, Liam Fox, who also campaigned to leave the EU, was given the new job of international trade secretary and Boris Johnson, who was a leader of the official Leave campaign, is foreign secretary. These three were each playing roles in negotiations with the EU. However that has all changed now, with Boris Johnson and David Davis resigning over Theresa May's preferred Brexit plan. Dominic Raab is the new Brexit secretary and Jeremy Hunt is foreign secretary. But Mrs May has made clear that she is in charge of the negotiations. Who's who guide to both sides' negotiators.

How long will it take for Britain to leave the EU?
The Article 50 process lasts two years so the intention is for the UK to leave the EU on 29 March 2019. EU law still stands in the UK until it ceases being a member. But as things stand there will not be a final break on that day as the two sides have agreed to a 21-month transition period to allow a smooth implementation of whatever Brexit deal is negotiated and minimise disruption to businesses and holidaymakers etc.

Why might Brexit take so long?
Unpicking 43 years of treaties and agreements covering thousands of different subjects was never going to be a straightforward task. It is further complicated by the fact that it has never been done before and negotiators are, to some extent, making it up as they go along. The post-Brexit trade deal is likely to be the most complex part of the negotiation because it needs the unanimous approval of more than 30 national and regional parliaments across Europe, some of whom may want to hold referendums.

So why can't the UK just cut all ties in March 2019?
The UK could cut all ties, but Theresa May and others would like to avoid such a "cliff-edge" where current regulations on things like cross-border trade and travel between the UK and the EU ends overnight. They think it would harm the economy.

What happens if there is no deal with the EU?
Without an agreement on trade, the UK would operate with the EU under World Trade Organisation rules, which could mean customs checks and tariffs on goods as well as longer border checks for travellers.

There are also questions about what would happen to Britain's position as a global financial centre and the land border between the UK and the Republic of Ireland. There is also concern that Brits living abroad in the EU could lose residency rights and access to free emergency health care. Here is a collection of papers published by the government on a 'no-deal'

What happens to EU citizens living in the UK and UK citizens in the EU?
An agreement between the UK and the EU provides what Theresa May says is certainty to the 3.2 million EU citizens in the UK - as well as citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland that they will be able to carry on living and working in the UK as they have done with their rights enshrined in UK law and enforced by British courts. UK citizens in the EU will also retain their current rights with what the EU's Jean-Claude Juncker called a cheap and simple administration procedure.

The proposal provides a cut-off date of Brexit day - 29 March 2019 - for those to be covered by the rules. Babies born after that date to people who have qualified under these rules will be included in the agreement. Under the plan EU citizens legally resident in the UK and UK citizens in the EU will be able to leave for up to five years before losing the rights they will have as part of the proposed Brexit deal.

Healthcare rights will continue as now although it is not clear yet what status an EHIC card would have for other travellers after Brexit. For the full details please see the UK-EU agreement. As with all other aspects of Brexit, this agreement would only come into force if and when the UK and the EU agree on an overall Brexit deal.

How will EU citizens apply for the new status?
UK government ministers say there will be an online system - similar to one used to renew driving licences - that will take minutes to complete with a fee similar to getting a passport, which is about £72. Read more details here: UK unveils EU citizen registration plan

Will EU nationals have to leave the UK if there's no deal?
We don't yet know what it would mean for recent arrivals, but it's worth saying that even if no Brexit deal was done, EU nationals with a right to permanent residence, which is granted after they have lived in the UK for five years, should not see their rights affected after Brexit.

What about EU nationals who want to work in the UK?
Any EU citizen already living and working in the UK will be able to carry on working and living in the UK after Brexit. The current plan is that even after Brexit, people from the EU will be able to move to work in the UK during a "transition" phase of about two years. There is also some debate over whether they will have the same rights as those who came before, with possible restrictions on access to benefits or to vote in local elections. The EU wants them to have the same rights as now - the UK doesn't.

What happens after the transition period has yet to be decided, although it is widely expected that there will be a work permit system along the lines of that for non-EU nationals.

Will MPs get a vote on the final Brexit deal?
Yes. Theresa May has promised there will be a Commons and Lords vote to approve whatever deal the UK and the rest of the EU agree at the end of the two year process. This vote was proposed as a "take it or leave it" one, after the deal was done.

But Mrs May suffered her first defeat as PM in December 2017 when enough Tory rebels joined with opposition parties to back an amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill which puts into law the fact that any Brexit deal can only become law if MPs have voted for it.

So could MPs block Brexit?
In theory, yes, but the EU side would need to agree too. The referendum result is not legally binding and the withdrawal agreement also has to be ratified by Parliament. But the UK has triggered the automatic process of leaving the EU.

MPs could vote against the exit deal between the UK and EU. This would mean the UK would be on track to leave without a deal, rather than halting the process. Some anti-Brexit MPs believe that if that happens, they could then persuade enough of their colleagues to back a second referendum.

Will I need a visa to travel to the EU?
The UK government wants to keep visa-free travel to the UK for EU visitors after Brexit and it is hoping this will be reciprocated, meaning UK citizens will continue to be able to visit EU countries for short periods without seeking official permission to travel.

If visitors from EU countries wanted to work, study or settle in the UK they would have to apply for permission under the proposals.

No agreement has been reached yet, however. If it is decided that EU citizens will need visas to come to the UK in the future, then UK citizens will need visas to travel to the EU.

This stuff came from the Guardian:

Why is Ireland such a difficult issue in Brexit talks?
Barring a few high-profile interventions from two former prime ministers, Sir John Major and Tony Blair, Ireland was not the main issue in the EU referendum campaign. Yet the status of the 310-mile border is now the biggest stumbling block to a Brexit deal.

The EU and UK have pledged to avoid a hard border, including any infrastructure that could become a target for militants, in order to preserve the Good Friday agreement. But there has been little progress on how to avoid a border, since an initial agreement was struck in December 2017. Without an accord on Ireland, the EU has said there can be no Brexit divorce treaty. According to the EU logic of Brexit sequencing, without a withdrawal agreement, there can be no transition period or trade agreement between the UK and its European neighbours.

What is the EU plan?
Brussels wants guarantees it will be able to control goods flowing over the EU-UK border after Brexit. Without any controls, officials fear that it will be impossible to prevent illegal imports, such as American chlorinated chickens, or cheating on VAT rates. As the EU and UK are not expected to conclude an agreement on their future trading relationship until 2020 at the earliest, the EU has come up with a fallback plan, known as the backstop. The backstop means Northern Ireland would remain subject to the EU customs union and many single market rules, creating “a common regulatory area” on the island of Ireland, where goods can move freely. Northern Ireland would have to apply EU tariffs on non-EU goods. It would follow EU rules on product safety, animal welfare and VAT. EU institutions, including the European court of justice, would retain their role in enforcing these rules.

What is the UK plan?
The UK has staunchly rejected the EU plan: no British prime minister “could ever agree” to the backstop, which threatens the constitutional integrity of the UK, Theresa May has said. The proposal is especially fraught for the prime minister, whose minority government is propped up by the Democratic Unionist party, which fiercely opposes separate status for Northern Ireland.

The UK wants to resolve the Irish question through an agreement on the future trading relationship. It argues that any fallback plan should apply to the whole of the UK and be time-limited, two points the EU refuses to accept. The UK has proposed two customs plans. The first, “maximum facilitation”, is based on technology and trusted-trader status for small businesses doing cross-border trade. The second is an unprecedented partnership that would allow the UK to collect tariffs on behalf of the EU. Both ideas have been rejected by the EU, but elements have been reincarnated in May’s Chequers plan.

What happens now?
The EU hopes to convince the UK that its backstop is not trampling on British sovereignty. This is Michel Barnier’s attempt to “dedramatise” the issue, partly by appealing to precedents – existing Northern Ireland-only rules on phytosanitary (plant health) norms, controls between Spain and the Canary Islands. Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, is also said to be looking at allowing British officials to check goods coming to Northern Ireland. Another EU idea is whether checks could be done at ports and airports away from the land border. But British officials are said to be unconvinced. To the British, the EU proposals still look like an “unacceptable” border in the Irish Sea.

EU leaders are likely to signal the importance of solving the Irish question when they discuss Brexit at a summit in Salzburg this week. But a solution remains elusive.

I am a British subject born in the UK as were my parents BUT my passport is endorsed stating I am not allowed to take up residency or employement in the EU.

With BREXIT at least it should be a level playing field for one and all born of british parents in the UK.


No DEAL is the best deal -

is being a subject the same as being being a citizen?
i'ld guess not and thus the nuance

cynic, Also a resident citizen, not only a subject but one that wants the privilaeges removed for all, and the only way is for BREXIT to mean BREXIT.

there must be something more than what you have divulged, as certainly someone born of english parents and in england assuredly has the right to work in eu

Ooooo I think I'm having an erotic spasm Vince.

292 days to go and the only way your getting a second referendum is if the two choices on the paper are deal or no deal.

Dill,

I thought you might have been retained in Sunderland at the weekend.

Must have been some of your mates.

cynic - other than my grandmother was French - I have stated the facts - however - four of my children are in the same position, with the same statement typed in their Passports but one child does not have this in theirs. Work that one out!

However, I did not say I was born in England but I did say I was born in the UK just to clarify, not that it should make any difference, as a British Passport covers anyone born in the whole of the UK not just England.

292 days, Dilbert?

I hope you're not confusing your Brexit countdown with anything sheep-related!

:o)

it was the erotic spasm I was having hils :-)

Don't think I could put up with an extra 100 days of remoaners crying.

Sorry Fred , not seen what happened in Sunderland.

well CT, there's clearly something you aren't telling us to make you non grata as an employee in eu

More fairy tales for Dil and Manual.

https://www.ft.com/content/962ff0b0-b841-11e8-b3ef-799c8613f4a1?segmentId=c841d669-8dab-e460-26f0-30ea79c2a1d0

cynic, there are around 3/4 thousand others like myself - All EU counties seem more than willing to have us but but we have to apply, as it is not a automic right, in fact I would go so far as to say that in general they welcome us with open arms subject to application.

I guess you might be in the same position if Bexit means Brexit, as I would like. Then your in the same boat as all of us. Believe me, they will then welcome you with open arms, if you meet the calibre.

i have long been unemployable as i'm too much of a maverick, and now disqualify myself on age too

Cynic, At least you were employable at some point it seems, I have never been employable, and have never been employed by anyone, as I doubt I could have managed to accept orders but it shows what one good teacher in my last year at school, who gave me a glowing report, unlike all others bar the maths and science teachers, and what that can mean to a 15 year old. The guy in question, was a wise old teacher in his seventies, that most laughed at but I connected mentally with, and his words that he wrote my parents in my last report never left me from the day I walk out of that school on my 15th birthday.

I asked myself where he would have stood on Brexit - and his reply I guess would have been just "Pray for the right result".

Its good to see Viktor Orban and TM are bedmates.

TM is playing a blinder in Salzburg.

Should solve the problems of the Cons.